NARROMINE trainer Kylie Kennedy hopes a light weight and a quick back-up can help her consistent sprinter-miler Prince Jackorelli upset the nominal favourite Mossamine in Monday's $17,000 Club Dubbo Christmas Cup (1405m) at Dubbo.
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Kennedy has booked three-kilogram apprentice Sarah Trebley for the ride on Prince Jackorelli, meaning her seven-year-old gelding will carry just 51kg.
It may prove to be a shrewd move by Kennedy, with Mossamine allocated 58kg despite dominating a similar standard event at Orange before running a close sixth in a strong Saturday race at Warwick Farm.
Without the claim, Prince Jackorelli would have received just four kilograms off the metropolitan-standard gelding, which will be one of the last runners to compete under the training partnership of Lee Freedman and Graeme Rogerson before it folds.
The Bianconi x Aktoom Lady gelding heads in to the Christmas Cup on the back of a narrow second to Cassie's Favourite over 1400m at last Friday's Mudgee Cup meeting.
"He's going well and pulled up well from Mudgee so I figured why not back him up. The race looks suitable for him," Kennedy said.
"He ran well at Hawkesbury first up over 1200m and then when he got to the 1400m the other day he ran very well.
"I think Cassie's Favourite has a bit of a future ahead of her so to run her to such a close margin was a good run and I think he will have improved from that again."
Kennedy has long been on the receiving end of the controversial benchmark rating system through the deeds of her top sprinter Spectacular Iam.
This time she, along with most other trainers in the race, suffered because of the rating awarded to Mossamine.
Despite earning more than $220,000 from six wins and having predominantly metropolitan form, the Mossman x Glint Of Gold gelding gets into Monday's event with 58kg and will be ridden by Greg Ryan.
Compare that to the 56.5kg originally allocated to the Danny Parsons-trained Big Be, a winner of three races and less than $20,000 in earnings, and you start to see why there is frustration.
"Without the claim we would only be getting four kilograms off Mossamine and to be honest, he would struggle to win under those circumstances," Kennedy admitted.
"I'm sure young Danny Parsons felt the same, so he's put Hannah Martin on to minimise the damage for him a bit as well.
"But my horse goes really well for Sarah and he now only has to carry 51kg so that brings him right back into the race I think."
